ENFIELD — In a first-of-its-kind event in the area, several Enfield organizations will come together on the Enfield Town Green to provide Pathways to Stability for those in need and to offer information to those interested in helping.
The event will bring together Enfield Loaves and Fishes, Enfield Food Shelf, Enfield Social Services, Enfield EMS, Enfield Police and Fire, The Safe Harbor Warming Center and the North Central District Health Department.
“The general purpose of the event is to educate the community about what our Enfield human services organizations do to relieve the plights of the unhoused and invite them to join us and help out,” explained Maya Nicole Matthews, executive director of Enfield Loaves and Fishes. “We are specifically asking for help to get Power in a Shower to Enfield one day a week between March and September 2025. This will help with the health and self-esteem of our unhoused.”
This mobile shower unit would allow those without a home to have access to this basic hygiene need. The organization is currently looking into ways to fund this project.
“I haven’t been able to find a grant yet, but hope that this awareness event will catch the attention of the community and we will be able to raise some funding or get a sponsor to bring Power in a Shower to Enfield Loaves and Fishes,” said Matthews.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes refreshments, games, a Hartford Healthcare table and a Life Star helicopter landing at 10:30 a.m.
“There will be informational tables set up for all organizations that work directly with the unhoused in our community. Each table will have lawn games and/or giveaways for families. It will be very fun,” said Matthews. “The Power in a Shower trailer will also be on-site for people to explore and ask questions about its benefit to our community. The Life Star helicopter will land at 10:30 [a.m.] and be available for exploration until it takes back off at 12:30 [p.m.]”
After seeing an increase in the number of unhoused people and in the number of people utilizing the warming center this past winter, those in charge of the human services organization started to discuss ways to do more. They already had connections to local hospitals and health organizations that offer medical education and services to those without a primary care physician and the uninsured.
“We all serve the unhoused population and get together monthly to trade notes on what trends we are seeing and what we may need to change, keep doing, or implement to make sure that between all of us, all of their needs are being met,” explained Matthews. “We have all seen an increase in clients and challenges. We are all short-staffed and funding for social services has decreased from the federal and state level. We are all working together and trying to get creative in how we can continue to provide the services people need. I realized that the public doesn’t know that we are all collaborating at this level, and as we are all looking for help, I thought that an event like this would be a great opportunity for the public to come and meet all of us and see how to get involved.”
Matthews and the others involved have high hopes for the event and potential lasting effects from it.
“I am so grateful to Enfield Social Services for starting the group and for the town of Enfield, specifically Town Manager Christopher Bromson, for allowing us to put on the event,” said Matthews. “It is very important that people know that we realize there is a serious issue with rising costs and people are struggling. There is help out there and this in an opportunity to see what those avenues are. If people aren’t sure how they can help out, this is their chance to come down and be a part of the solution.”
